Lawyer Gets Prison For Scamming Client

Attorney Claimed He Could Fix Dupage Case

A longtime Loop lawyer was sentenced Wednesday to 4 months in prison followed by 4 months of home confinement for lying to the FBI in connection with the cheating of a client in a child custody case.

Myron "Mike" Minuskin, 67, of Chicago pleaded guilty in June to falsely claiming he could fix the client's DuPage County court case, solicited $5,000 from her and tried to get another $5,000.

"I want to apologize to the legal profession for the shame I have caused it," Minuskin told U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo. "I have a hard time ahead, but no more than I deserve."

Castillo, who also fined Minuskin $20,000, lamented that he has sentenced about a dozen attorneys in five years.

Castillo was incredulous that Minuskin, a lawyer for 43 years, "joined this other club, one I call the hall of shame for lawyers who commit federal offenses."

Court papers indicate the client contacted authorities after Minuskin offered to fix the case for additional money besides the legal fees she had paid him.

In two secretly recorded conversations in August 1997, Minuskin said he had an insider, whom he called "Party X," who had the influence to assure the woman would regain custody of her children for $10,000.

Armed with recorded bills from the FBI and a hidden tape recorder, the woman delivered $5,000 in cash to Minuskin in his North LaSalle Street office on Sept. 8, 1997, authorities said.

"This will take care of the proper people, and when you come back and see me you got it," Minuskin told the woman, according to court documents.

Shortly after the woman left the office, FBI agents hurried in, confiscated the $5,000 for evidence and confronted Minuskin.

Authorities said Minuskin lied, denying he offered to fix the case for cash.

Early in the investigation, authorities weren't sure if Minuskin could deliver on his promise to fix a case in DuPage, but they eventually learned that it was a ruse on his part to obtain more cash from his client.